Blue Sapphires
by abiholmes97
Summary: A Year with the Janes! Follows the Jane family that I have set up in previous stories for a whole year. Will feature birthdays, anniversaries, school dramas and holidays. Will also feature the Rigsby's, Cho and the Abbotts as well. I hope you enjoy. Please R R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello all. I decided to do a longer fic that focuses on my Jane family for a year, just to see what its like. I will apologise now, I am British and I am sure that I will get things wrong! I am reliant on Google, but if I do make a mistake, I would appreciate it if you DM'd me or left a message in the review box! But I hope you enjoy this longer fic. The plan is to upload every week, depending on how busy I am. So hopefully see you next Sunday. But for now, enjoy January! **

**The kids ages at the beginning, incase anyone wants to know: Willow is 14, T.J is 12, Chris is 7 and little Sophie is 4! A/N**

**January**

"Toby! Will you fly that blasted helicopter somewhere else!" Teresa Jane shouted through the house. She had no idea where her eldest son was but the helicopter, they had got him for Christmas was flying round the house and currently disturbing her as she tried to look over a recent case file.

"Sorry Mom!" he called back, and the flying contraption left her in peace.

"How goes the worker?" asked her husband, Patrick Jane from the shadows of the kitchen.

"Jesus, Patrick, you scared the living daylights out of me!"

"Sorry, I only came in to make some tea but could see you were working hard and couldn't resist."

"Oh, thank you very much!" she said, massaging her temples.

Jane, seeing that his wife was stressed, came and sat at the table. He took her hands in his and kissed her on the cheek.

"What's the case?" he asked softly.

"Two shootings in San Diego. No prints, no weapon, no leads." She sighed.

"May I?" he asked, looking at the case file.

"Sure. You may have better luck than me!"

Jane looked over the file while drinking his tea while Teresa sat with her head in her hands.

"It looks like one was stabbed while the other was strangled." He remarked.

"Hmm, that's what Hernandez concluded. But he thinks they were killed by the same person as the blood of the victim who was stabbed was found on the man who was strangled."

"Yes, that looks about right."

"I wish you would come in and work cases more often." She looked at him.

He smiled sadly, "And who would keep the rabble out there under wraps!"

Teresa smiled, "I know. I miss working with you, that's all."

"I come in and work the smaller cases!"

"I know! But it's not like the old days!" she moaned.

"Of course it's not, we have four kids!"

She laughed, "I know!"

"MOM! T.J WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!" shouted Willow from the living room.

"I've got it!" said Patrick, getting up from the table, "Only a few more days and they'll be back in school!"

"Is it bad to say I can't wait?" she asked.

Jane smiled and kissed her on the forehead, "I don't think so! Especially when we have Willow and T.J to contend with!"

She laughed as she walked out of the kitchen and then groaned when she looked at the case file in front of her. She glanced once more over it and decided to give it up as a bad job. Instead, she made a pot of coffee and went off to rescue her husband from her squabbling children.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

In late January, the temperature warmed slightly so Patrick and Teresa decided to have the firepit out one evening. They had bought marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate to make smores. Teresa had sighed and fussed about the kids having a sugar high right before bed, but Jane had grinned and said it was a treat and they didn't do this very often. Jane got the pit going around 5.30, just as Teresa was sitting the kids down to dinner. As he came back in, they got a whiff of smoke.

"You kids are definitely having a bath after we finish!" smiled Teresa, as she cut up Sophie's food for her. She looked at Patrick, "And you are definitely having a shower!"

Jane mock saluted and said, "Yes, ma'am!"

Teresa rolled her eyes, handed the dinner to her four-year-old and began to eat her own dinner.

Once the plates had been cleaned and put away, Patrick and Teresa persuaded Chris, T.J and Willow into jackets and helped Sophie to put hers on. They then all walked out into the garden.

"Woah!" remarked Willow in amazement, looking around at the garden. Jane had gone to town on the garden. The fire pit was set up in the middle of the garden and he had strung fairy lights up round the fencing. He'd also put lea lights in bowls and put them round the edge of the garden. "Dad, it looks amazing!" she headed for one of the chairs set round the fire and grinned, "This is great!"

"Thanks, Wills!" he smiled.

"Yeah, who knew you were so creative Dad!" grinned T.J, walking off to sit with his sister. Chris followed.

Sophie looked up at Jane and held out her arms. Patrick picked her up and walked over holding Lisbon's hand.

"Do you have to hold hands?" Chris asked, rolling his eyes, "No one over the age of 21 should be doing that in public, or at all!"

Patrick looked at his youngest son, a cheeky glint in his eye. He put Sophie in her chair, placed one hand on the small of Teresa's back and kissed her, in front of the children.

"Eww!" said Chris and T.J in unison.

Patrick grinned against Teresa's lips and he could feel her smile back too. He pulled away and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Eugh. I'm off to my room!" moaned Chris and he got up to leave.

"Sit down, Chris!" smiled Teresa, "Your father's just winding you up!"

"I'm sorry!" Jane smiled, putting his hands in the air, "I promise not to touch your mother for the rest of the evening…. Until you're all in bed that is!"

The three eldest children squirmed, and Jane laughed.

"Leave them alone!" reprimanded Teresa, although she was smiling.

"They make it so easy!" he protested.

Lisbon sighed and shook her head.

"Marshmallows?" Sophie asked, looking at her parents, wondering why they were smiling, and her siblings were all blushing and cringing.

"Of course, Soph!" smiled Jane, "What would a fire pit be without Marshmallows!" He pulled out a big bag of marshmallows and the packet of graham crackers.

"Smores!" cried Chris and T.J, throwing their arms in the air in excitement.

Teresa laughed and Jane grinned. "Smores!" he replied.

He handed each of his children and Teresa a stick and a marshmallow. While they were toasting, he handed round the packet of graham crackers. It was such a pleasant evening and laughter and chatter filled the air. It was a good excuse to catch up with the kids as they spent so much time apart these days what with work and school and extra-curriculars. Willow, with her photographic memory, was taking on extra work and also tutoring her friends at the weekends as a means of earning some money. T.J had joined his middle school football team and turned out to be quite a gifted player. Neither Patrick nor Teresa knew where he got it from. Chris was beginning to show that he was academic like his sister, but he also was showing a talent for baseball. Chris was a mix of Willow and T.J both school-wise and in temperament. And Sophie. What could be said about Sophie? She was just sweet and innocent. She could make Patrick and Teresa bend over in fits of laughter and she could melt butter. She was the splitting image of her father with the same eyes and a mop of curly blonde hair. Patrick was the first to admit it. He had been very lucky to have had a second shot at being a family.

"Dad, did I tell you that coach wants to try me on the main school team?" T.J asked.

"No, but that's fantastic news T.J!"

"Just don't let it interfere with your schoolwork!" reminded Lisbon.

"And don't think I'm going to do it for you!" added Willow.

T.J rolled his eyes, "I promise I'll keep my grades up."

"Atta boy!"

"Daddy, when can I go to school?" asked Sophie.

"You start Kindergarten in September, Soph." said Chris, smiling at his younger sister.

"I wanna go school like Lo and Teej and Chris!" she replied, her bottom lip wobbling.

"And you will," replied Teresa, kissing her cheek, 'You just have to be patient is all. You'll get there!"

"You'll have so much fun in kindergarten!" smiled Willow, "Sure beats High School."

Jane smiled sympathetically at his daughter, "You'll be at college in no time!"

She smiled, "Thanks Dad. I was thinking about applying to San Fran State?"

"Really?" asked Lisbon, "That close?"

"Why? Do you want me to go halfway across the country?" she asked grinning.

"Yes!" said T.J, "Then I'd get your room and it's in the attic and…"

"Like hell are you getting my room!" Willow glared at her brother, "Maddie goes to San Fran even though she lives in the city and she likes it there. Plus, they do my course."

"What if you get offers for Harvard and Princeton? You're a smart kid." Said Jane.

Willow blushed, "I'm not that smart…"

"Are you kidding me?" said T.J, "You remember everything you've ever read even if you've only read it once!"

"I'm sure your just…"

"Don't say I'm exaggerating! Cause I'm not!"

"Name every twentieth century president in order!" smiled Chris. It was one of his favourite things to do with his sister, get her to list things and give him a weird and wonderful fact.

Willow blushed.

"Go on!" egged T.J, "We know you know so why hide it?"

"Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, JFK, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, James Carter, Ronald Regan, George Bush Sr and Bill Clinton." She recited.

Jane winked at her and she blushed even deeper, if that was possible.

"You have a gift, Wills." Said T.J, catching a marshmallow that Chris had thrown his way, "Me, I'll be lucky to get into college with my brains, that's why I play football, maybe I can get a scholarship, but you, you've got a gift. You're so smart, Wills, I wish I was like you. Maybe I wouldn't be such a jerk if I was."

Willow wiped a tear from her eye and grinned, "No, I'm pretty sure you'd still be a jerk!"

T.J smiled and threw a marshmallow at her, "I'm never getting sappy again!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Apologies that this chapter is slightly longer. I think when I do kid-centric chapters they might be a little longer. Also this chapter is predominantly Sophie. I hope you enjoy!**

**Thanks also for the reviews on the previous chapter. It does mean a lot! A/N**

**February**

January merged into February without much change in the life of the Jane family. The three eldest kids were in school, almost staying out of trouble and working hard. The weekly phone calls from T.J's schools were becoming routine. It normally involved him being involved in a prank or "disturbing behaviour" in class. One time, Jane had to go and pick him up from the Principals office for gluing his teacher to the chair. Sometimes Jane had to restrain himself and force himself not to laugh down the phone when he got the call or when he had to tell his wife what had happened. Never having been to school, he found the concept of pulling pranks on teachers and students highly amusing. He even made Toby swear not to tell his mother that he asked him how successful some of the pranks were and he had been involved in the planning of a few, namely the ones where he hadn't been caught. Teresa had resigned herself to the fact that she had a troublemaker son and knew there was nothing she could do about it except tell him off, ground him, confiscate his gadgets and basically be the worse Mom on the planet for a few days.

Sophie was the only child she didn't have to worry about. She was quieter than her other siblings, but then again, she was the youngest and sometimes couldn't get a word in edgeways. But when it was just her and her parents, she would babble away quite happily about anything that pleased her.

One morning, it was just Sophie and Patrick. Teresa was coming home that afternoon, but for a few hours, it was just Sophie and her daddy.

"Can we have a tea party, daddy?" Sophie asked her father, lying on her stomach, hands placed under her chin, making puppy dog ideas.

"Why, Miss Jane, I do believe you read my mind!" Jane grinned, "I was just about to make a cup of tea!"

Sophie giggled, "Don't be silly, Daddy! You can't read people's minds!"

"Quite right!"

"So, we can have a tea party?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course!" Patrick replied, "I'll get the tea!"

"I'll get the party set up and the guests ready!" she said running up the stairs to her bedroom.

Patrick smiled as he went into the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea and he also made up some squash for Sophie. He grabbed some cookies out of the cupboard and put them on the tray with the drinks and carried it up to her room. Sophie's room was on the second floor of the house and she shared a landing with Chris and T.J. Willow, being the eldest, had managed to snag the attic room, which had proven a good move as they knew her workload would increase when she started high school.

Sophie was currently into all things pink and rainbows and unicorns and so Jane had spent a rainy-day painting and decorating his daughter's room to reflect this. As a result, it was very pink, with unicorns and rainbows on the walls, a unicorn lamp hung from the ceiling and she had rainbow curtains. As he walked in with the drinks, he smiled as he saw his daughter arranging her teddies into a circle. She had got changed and was wearing a tutu with a crown and wings.

"Your tea, madam." Jane smiled, putting on a posh voice.

Sophie looked up and giggled, "You sound funny, Daddy!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he replied, adopting his normal voice, "Is this better?"

"Much." She replied, patting on the floor, indicating that was where he was to sit.

Jane crossed the room and sat down as indicated.

"Cookies!" she squealed, seeing the plate as Patrick sat down.

"Of course, what tea party would be complete without cookies?"

She grinned, "But none for Mr. Hoggle," she said, pointing at one of her bears, "He's not been very nice to the other bears today."

"Oh really?" asked Jane, handing her the juice.

She nodded seriously, "Mr. Rigsby said that he made fun of his bowtie and Miss. Jenny said that he had pulled at her bows."

"Well, that isn't very nice. I agree. Maybe Mr. Rigsby and Miss. Jenny could share the cookie that Mr. Hoggle would've had?"

She thought for a moment, "That's a good idea."

"Not just a pretty face!"

They spent an enjoyable morning playing tea parties. Sophie managed to convince Jane to wear a tiara ("You just look silly without one, Daddy!" She had argued) and they were just considering putting on a film when a voice called out:

"Jane? You home?"

"Upstairs!" he called back. There were footsteps on the landing and the face of Wayne Rigsby appeared around the side of the door. He took one look at Jane and smirked.

"That's an, er, interesting look." He commented.

"One word to Cho and I swear…"

"Oh, trust me, I wouldn't dare!" he laughed.

"Uncle Rigsby!" squealed Sophie, turning round and looking up.

"Hey Soph!" he waved, "What you guys doing?"

"We're having a tea party!"

"Nice."

"Do you want to join us?" she asked, looking hopefully.

Rigsby looked at his watch and smiled, "I have time."

"You have to wear a tiara!" Sophie grinned at her uncle.

Rigsby looked at Jane who just shrugged.

"Thanks man!" he sighed, letting his niece place a tiara on his head.

About half an hour later, Lisbon came home and came upstairs to investigate the source of the giggling she could hear.

"Oh!" she gasped as she saw not only her husband in a tiara but Wayne Rigsby.

"It's not what you think…" Rigsby began to explain

"Mommy!" squeaked Sophie as she saw her mother and she ran into her mother's arms.

"Hey baby. You had fun?" she asked, smoothing over her curls

She nodded, "We had a tea party!"

"I can see. Is that why Daddy and Uncle Rigsby are in tiaras?"

She nodded, "It's the dress code!"

"Ah, I see." She put her daughter down. "Shall we take a photo for Auntie Gracie and the others?"

She nodded, grinning.

"Tee, I really don't think that's…" Jane began, looking panicked as Teresa took out her phone.

"Aww come on, Jane, Sophie wants a photo!" She gave her daughter a wink and Sophie made puppy dog eyes and stuck out her bottom lip.

"Soph, you know I find it hard to say no to you, but when you do that…"

"Please Daddy?"

Jane looked a Rigsby and sighed, "Fine, one photo. But if I see it on the FBI noticeboard…"

"It'll just stay between family! I promise!" she smiled at the three of them as Sophie sat in her father's lap. "Say cheese!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few days later and Lisbon found that she had Sophie to herself. Patrick had gone on a field trip as a parent helper with Christopher's class to the Sacramento State Museum and of course Willow and T.J were in school. Teresa wasn't used to having a whole day off, but her boss had insisted and who was she to argue with her boss. They had done the school run and now, Sophie was watching cartoons and Teresa was enjoying a cup of coffee. It was a grey and drizzly day; the kind of day that had Teresa not been a mother, she would have spent snuggled under the covers, watching old movies. She remembered a day with Jane, similar to this when she was pregnant with Willow and they had made their way through the BBC series of _Pride and Prejudice. _She smiled softly at the memory and was brought to the present day when Sophie climbed up beside her.

"What's up, ladybug?" she asked

"I'm bored!" she sighed

"You're always bored!" Teresa replied, tickling Sophie and making her laugh.

"No mummy! Stop! Stop!" Sophie cried out in between laughs.

Teresa tickled her some more before slowing down and kissing her on the nose, "What do you want to do?" she asked.

Sophie looked out the window, "I wanted to go for a walk, but we can't because its raining!" she moaned.

"I know, baby, but I can't do much about the weather."

"Daddy says that Charlotte's left her shower on when it rains."

"Does he?" Teresa murmured.

Sophie nodded, "I don't know what to do!" she moaned again

Teresa smiled, "How about we go to soft play for a few hours?"

Sophie's eyes lit up, "Oh yes please Mommy!" she jumped down from the sofa and ran into the hall. She came back with her shoes and her coat.

"Woah, slow down, Soph!" Teresa smiled, "Let me finish my coffee!"

Sophie sighed and sat and watched as Teresa finished her coffee. Then they got ready, ran to the car and drove off to the soft play center. Once they were there, Teresa bought herself another coffee and she helped Sophie with her shoes.

"Mommy come play?" Sophie asked.

"Let me drink my coffee first and then I'll come."

Sophie ran off and Teresa enjoyed a few moments of peace. Then she took out her phone and sent Jane at text:

_At soft play with Soph. Hope all is well and you are behaving. Love you, T xx_

She waited and sure enough she got a reply:

_Of course I'm behaving. Honestly! All is well here. Chris seems to be enjoying himself. Just remembering all the times we would come here to talk to Bertram. Enjoy soft play and I'll see you later. Love you, P xx_

_What do you mean, talk to Bertram? Most of the time you were being told off by him and I was having to apologize and beg and grovel to keep you on the team! xx_

_Meh, I forget the specifics. See you later xx_

Teresa smiled and put down her phone. She looked up at the frame and scanned the gaps for any sign of her daughter. Knowing Sophie, she was probably imagining she was on a pirate ship or something like that. Her imagination knew no bounds. She kicked her shoes off incase Sophie did come and ask her to play.

Sure enough, Sophie ran over and pulled her mother up and out of her seat and into the frame.

"Let's play astronauts, Mommy!" she smiled as she sat in the corner, "This is our spaceship!"

"Okay, where are we going?" Teresa asked, sitting next to her

"The Moon!" she grinned.

"Awesome!"

"Hold on, this could get bumpy!" she grinned, "T-Minus 5…4…3…2…1… and BLAST OFF!

"Woah, this sure is bumpy!" Teresa played along, pretending to hold on to her seat, "I'm not sure if I like this Soph."

"It's okay Mommy, you can hold my hand!" Teresa took Sophie's hand and smiled, "We've landed!"

"That was quick!"

"Put your helmet on or you won't be able to breathe!"

Teresa pretended to put on a helmet and gave Sophie the thumbs up, "Now what, Captain Jane?"

"We have to climb through the ship to get to the hatch!" Sophie pointed at the frame and smiled, "It's this way!"

Together they headed off on their hands and knees, climbing over frames and going through tunnels.

"This is the hatch!" Sophie said, pointing at some soft poles that were hanging down from a beam, "We go through here and we'll be on the moon."

"How exciting!" Teresa grinned, "Shall we go and explore?"

Sophie nodded and made her way onto the "moon"

"Wow, Mommy, look at the moon! It's amazing!"

"I know. Do you think we'll find any aliens up here?" Teresa asked, looking round.

"Ooh, I hope not! They might try to keep us here and then we won't see Daddy or Lo, Teej or Chris again!"

"I think something's got my leg!"

"Mommy?"

"Sophie, is there a way back to the ship, back to earth?" Teresa pretended to struggle a little.

Sophie looked around and saw a way to the slide, "If we go up that way," she pointed, "We can go through a space slide and we'll land back on earth!"

"Space slide, eh?" asked Teresa, "Sounds like fun!"

"C'mon!" Sophie grinned, "Before the moon aliens get us!"

"Pull me out!" Teresa smiled, sticking out her hand.

Sophie grinned again and pulled her mother towards her. Teresa gave her daughter a quick hug and they crawled towards the space slide, pretending to shoot at moon aliens. She loved hearing her daughter laugh and play, so carefree and cheerful. She cherished these moments with her youngest as she knew that all too soon, she would be off to school and her days off would be spent with Jane or by herself.

"Quick, mommy!" Sophie's voice brought Teresa back to her senses, "The Space Slide is only open for a short time!"

"Okay, I'm coming!" Teresa called, hauling herself through the gap that Sophie just leapt through. Soft play was definitely not dignified if you were an adult!

Sophie giggled as she settled herself at the top of the slide. It was one of those four-laned rainbow ones that had the bumps in it.

"No mommy, you go here!" Sophie pointed to the lane next to her, "If you go down that one, you'll end up on Mars!"

"Oh, we don't want that!" smiled Teresa, going to the land that she was told to. Sophie offered her hand and Teresa took it, smiling. They went down the slide together, laughing and grinning from ear to ear.

They spent a few more hours at soft play before they had to get back so Lisbon could start on dinner. Although she was very much hoping that Jane might cook tonight! As Lisbon pulled into the drive, she looked in the rear-view mirror and saw that Sophie was fast asleep, no doubt dreaming of running around on the moon.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay. So it appears that uploading on a Saturday evening is a lot easier than on a Sunday so I guess I will be seeing you on a Saturday. **

**Ok some background for this chapter... I wanted to do a short story about Jane dealing with having a 16 yr old and it just wasn't working so I amalgamated that idea into this chapter. It is rather long and some of the dialogue has been taken from episode 5x02.**

**Thanks once again for the reviews. It really means a lot to know there are people out there reading this story! See you next week! A/N**

**March**

February merged into March and brought the promise of spring with it. The weather was getting warmer and they were seeing more and more sun. Willow, T.J and Chris were enjoying their freedom, having just completed their winter test season and even though they had homework, it was slightly more relaxed than it had been in recent weeks. But even though things looked rosy, they were soon going to be turned on their heads.

Willow had three close friends at junior high; Olivia Shaw, Katherine Barnes and Kaitlyn Jones. They had met when Willow moved to Sacramento and had taken her under their wing and had been inseparable ever since. Willow and Olivia were similar in temperament, both gentle girls, very aware of their actions having consequences. Katherine was slightly louder than Olivia and Willow and was easily led astray and Kaitlyn had no regard for her actions. She was a bit of a troublemaker, often getting Katherine into trouble and trying to get Olivia and Willow into trouble. Kaitlyn was also dating a high schooler who happened to have his own car. So, one day she approached Willow and Olivia by the lockers.

"What are you doing on Friday?" she asked, looking hopeful.

"I'm meant to be helping my brother with his science project if he doesn't get held up at football practice and I think my Dad wants to watch _Labyrinth _with me."

"I'm going to do some studying before spending the evening up at the stables." Added Liv

"Why?"

"Fancy coming to McKinley Park with the guys?"

"Whose 'the guys'?" asked Willow, cautiously, looking at her friend.

Kaitlyn sighed, "Me, Chester, Kathy, Robert, Dylan, David and Hunter. Just the squad." She smiled hopefully at Willow and Olivia.

"It couldn't hurt to have an evening off studying…" began Liv, looking at Willow and smiling, "Who knows, it might be fun." She winked, smiling.

"Oh, it's not in the evening." Said Kaitlyn, smirking, "We're ditching this place and spending the whole day there."

"You're ditching school?" asked Willow, incredulously.

"Shh!" hissed Kaitlyn, "Keep your voice down, moron!"

"Do you know how much trouble we'd be in?" asked Olivia.

"Oh, no one's going to do anything about that. What's the worst they'll do to you guys anyway? You've never done anything wrong in your whole school career!"

Olivia looked at her friend, "I mean, we're straight A students who have never done a thing wrong in their whole lives as students, the worst I think they'll do is give us detention?"

"If we get caught?" Willow replied.

"Which you won't. I've been bunking school for months now and I've never been caught!" smiled Kaitlyn.

"I don't think that's something to be proud of." Smiled Olivia.

Kaitlyn waved her hand, dismissing the comment. "So, you up for it?"

Olivia and Willow looked at each other. Olivia smiled, "I am. Count me in!"

Willow sighed, "If I can get past my dad without him finding out then, yes, count me in too!"

Kaitlyn squealed and hugged her friends, "We're going to have so much fun!"

Willow gave a small smile, the feeling of panic and guilt rising in her chest. She knew this was wrong but at the same time, she couldn't have her friends thinking she was a wuss and anyway, Liv seemed up for it. What's the worst that could happen?

Friday morning came round and Willow woke up just after six. She put her bikini under her clothes for that morning as Kaitlyn had text to say they were going swimming. She would have felt more comfortable in her bathing suit but her bikini was more discreet. Just as she was pulling her top on, there was a knock at the door.

"Shoot!" Willow muttered. Her books were scattered over her bed. She had been working out how to fit her towel in her school bag without it looking suspicious.

"Willow? Are you ok?" came the voice of her dad.

"Yeah, I'm just… not decent!" she called back.

"Can you shove a top on or something?" he called back, "I made you a cup of tea!"

"Hang on!" she quickly shoved her books back in her bag and hurried to the door. Opening it, she grinned at her dad, "Thanks Dad!" she said, taking the tea.

"Well, you know what I say, there's no better way to start the day than with tea!"

"I think Mom may disagree with you there!"

"Eh, it would be a boring world if we all liked the same things." He looked over her shoulder into her room, "Everything ok?" he asked, seeing the mess.

Willow looked behind her, "Oh yeah, I couldn't find my history textbook but I must have left it in my locker. I'll get it at school!" she said in a rush.

Jane looked at her, "What's wrong?"

Willow tried to look puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"You normally have your bag packed and down in the hall the night before school. Means you can sleep in a little."

"Oh, Olivia and I had a long phone call. She wants to hold a study session on Saturday and we were sorting out the details." Willow lied.

"Hmm." She could tell that her dad didn't believe her and was thinking about coming clean and telling him the whole thing when Jane said, "There's eggs in the kitchen when you're ready to come down and then you can leave for school. Mom wants me in at the office, so I have to drop Sophie off at daycare."

"Auntie Grace?"

"How did you know?"

She shrugged, "Spooky isn't it?"

"You are so my daughter!" he grinned, tapping her on the nose.

"Good to know!" she took a sip of tea, "I'm going to finish getting ready. I'll be down in five minutes."

"Okay, see you down there!" and he left the room.

Willow shut the door and let out a sigh. Grabbing her phone from the nightstand, she sent a message to Olivia.

_Managed to convince Dad. I'm game if you are._

She packed her bag and as she was leaving the room a message flashed up on her phone:

_100% in. I'll meet you at the end of your road. I know where we're meeting everyone. Apparently, Chester and his friends are driving us there. See you soon. _

Willow smiled. It was going to work. It had to.

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she left her room. One floor down, she bumped into T.J who was just leaving his room.

"Morning!" she said, smiling as she walked past him.

"Whoever invented mornings needs their head examining!" grumbled T.J as he followed her down the stairs. The smell of eggs hit their nostrils almost as soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"What is it with Dad and eggs?" asked T.J, barging past her. Willow just rolled her eyes. She knew better than to argue with her brother in the morning. Upon entering the kitchen, she found Chris already at the table, tucking into some cereal. Sophie was sat next to him, eating a plateful of eggs. She kissed her sister on the forehead as she dumped her bag and headed to the fridge. Grabbing a yoghurt, she sat down next to Chris.

"Are you sure you're ok making your own way to school?" Jane asked her, concerned. "I was thinking, and I could drop you off, its not too much of a problem."

Willow smiled, "Dad, I'm fourteen. I should be walking to school by now! Anyway, Liv's meeting me at the end of the street so I won't be alone."

Jane smiled, "Well, if you're sure…"

"I am!" Willow said rather quickly. Jane gave her a look but then Sophie finished her breakfast and Jane's attention was diverted.

Willow felt her phone buzz in her pocket:

_I'm at the end of the road. O x_

"Dad, that's Liv. Gotta run!"

"What about the eggs?"

"Again, with the eggs!" she grinned, "You have a definite tendency to obsess. Anyone told you that?"

Jane smiled, "Love you!"

"I love you!" she smiled, running out the back door.

A few hours later and Patrick Jane was working with his wife at the FBI offices in California. It was a good little team they had. Teresa was the head of the team, like she had been at the CBI, but she worked for an Agent Molly Goode, who was gentle yet firm. Jane liked her, she reminded him of Abbott, once he had gotten to know him. Then the other team members were Agent Andrew Matthews, a tall, yet surprisingly well built man in his thirties, Agent Luis Hernandez, who reminded Jane very much of Rigsby in the sheer amount of food he could eat and Agent Giovanna Brown, who was the youngest member of their team. She was keen to learn and was proving to be a useful asset. All in all, Jane liked the team and respected them. He looked forward to the times that he would go into work and would often go for socials with them, now that Willow was old enough to be left in charge of the younger kids.

Jane was perched on the edge of Teresa's desk, talking over the case with her and maybe flirting a little when his phone began to ring.

"Patrick Jane?" he answered.

_Mr Jane, its Principal Sladen here, I'm calling from California Middle School?'_

"Yes, I know who you are. How can I help you?" he sighed, "What's Toby done this time?"

_I'm not calling about Toby, Mr. Jane. I know that may come as a surprise. No, I'm calling about Willow._

"Willow?" he asked, looking at his wife, alarmed, "What's wrong with Willow?"

_She didn't show for homeroom . And it's not like Willow to miss school._

"I don't know why she's not in. She said she was walking in with a friend."

_Which friend is this?_

"Olivia Shaw. They arranged to meet at the end of our street and walk up together. She even text me to let me know she was there safe."

_I don't know what to tell you Mr. Jane, only that she isn't here. And it seems that Olivia is missing as well. _

"Well, I'm sure there's a perfectly ordinary explanation to be found here. Thank you for letting me know."

_You're welcome, Mr. Jane and please, let me know when you find them._

He hung up and looked at his wife. "Willow didn't show up for school this morning. Nor did Olivia."

"Oh my… are they ok?" she asked, panic setting in.

"Tee, I'm sure there's a logical explanation for where they are. Out of all of our children, Willow is the most sensible." He placed his hands on her shoulder to calm her down. "She was acting odd this morning, now that I think back."

"Odd?" Teresa asked, "Odd how?"

"Well, she was packing her bag this morning instead of the night before like she usually does, and she did answer my question about me running her in rather quickly, almost as if she needed to walk in."

"You're thinking, that what… she bunked school?"

Patrick nodded slowly.

"But… Willow wouldn't… she's a good kid. Why would she ditch school?"

"I can think of a couple of reasons why." He murmured.

"I never did anything like this in school!"

Jane grinned, "Well, that's cause you were a goody two shoes!"

Lisbon was just about to respond when Jane got up and walked over to Matthew's desk.

"Andrew!" he smiled as he got to the desk, "I need you to track a cell phone for me."

"Sure thing, Mr. Jane. What's the number?"

"916-219-0887" he recited Willow's number.

"Give me one second…" he typed in the number and some other fields.

"You're tracking her cell?" Teresa asked.

"She's bunking school. She's not going to answer the phone. Not if she's smart about it."

Teresa looked at her husband. "She's in so much trouble." She muttered, looking back at the screen.

"Yeah which is why she won't answer the phone." He replied.

"Got a hit. Looks like they're in McKinley Park…" he zoomed in on the map, "…by the pools." He added.

"Great. Thanks Andrew!" and he walked over to the elevators.

"Wait!" called Lisbon, "So, that's it. You're just going to drive over there and get her?"

Jane nodded, "She's bunking school, Teresa."

"I know that, but wouldn't it be better to wait until schools finished and see if she comes home and tells the truth?"

"And what if she doesn't?"

"Then we'll tell her we know where she was all day." He replied as if it were the simplest thing on earth.

Teresa's forehead creased in a frown and Jane placed his hands on his shoulders and rubbed them gently, his green eyes melting into hers.

"Look, I know we thought that Toby was going to be the only problem child that we had, but Willow is just being a teenager. It's normal for kids to bunk off school. Willow will be alright and I'm sure she'll never do it again…"

"But why did she do it this time?"

"Peer pressure maybe. She could be rebelling, testing the waters, seeing if she really is the straight arrow that everyone thinks she is. There are plenty of reasons."

"So, what do we do?" she asked, as the elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside.

Patrick looked at his wife and took her hand in his, "I don't know." Was his reply.

A few hours later, everyone was home. Grace dropped of Sophie and then T.J and Chris came running through the door.

"Was Willow not with you guys?" Lisbon called after them as they charged up the stairs.

"No!" shouted T.J.

"Reece, I just got a text from Willow. She says, _"Gone to the park with Liv, Kath and Kaitlyn, will be home late. Love you, Will."_" Called Patrick from the kitchen.

"Well, she's certainly covering her bases." Said Teresa, folding her arms.

"You want me to tell her to come home?" he asked, looking at her.

Teresa shook her head, "No, she's made her bed. She can lie in it as well."

Jane grinned.

"What?" she replied, smiling in spite of herself

"Nothing. Well… its just that I remember when you used to say that about me."

Willow approached the end of her street just after seven. She said goodbye to Olivia and turned and walked up the street, humming _September _by Earth, Wind and Fire. She put her key in the lock, opened the door- leaving her bag by the door and creeping upstairs.

"You're late." Came a voice from the sofa.

Willow jumped and turned to see her Dad lying on the sofa, eyes shut, but fully aware of what was going on.

"Geez, Dad. You made me jump!"

"Hmm."

"I'm heading to bed, you know, long day at school and then chilling with the guys this evening."

"I got an interesting phone call today." He said, sitting up and looking at her.

"Oh really?" she asked unphased.

"Yeah, a certain principle was wondering where you were today, when you didn't show up for homeroom."

"Oh." Willow's face fell and her heart felt like it was in her stomach.

"So, where were you?" he asked.

"Am I required to tell you?" she asked, bluntly.

"Oh, I'm just your Dad, you don't have to tell me anything."

"You think you can manipulate me with reverse psychology?" she asked.

"You've gotten lippy as you've grown up." He commented.

"Get that from you." She replied.

"Willow, I'm really disappointed that you would think it was ok to skip school like this. I thought you were the sensible one?"

"Oh of course, everyone thinks I'm the sensible one so of course I couldn't possibly contemplate the idea of breaking the rules. What is it you always say, Dad? The rules are made to be broken?"

"Not when there their to keep you safe!" he retorted.

"Okay, whatever!" she muttered rolling her eyes.

"What does that mean, 'Okay, whatever?'" he replied, copying her language and behavior

"Nothing." She sighed, "How long am I grounded for?"

Jane got up and walked over to her, "I haven't decided yet. I want to talk with your mother and you still haven't told me where you were today."

She looked at him, "Again with where I was. If I tell you, will it make you more lenient on how long I'm grounded for?"

"Maybe."

She sighed again, "I was at McKinley Park. Olivia, Katherine, Kaitlyn and a few of the guys were there too, and if you must know it was Kaitlyn's idea. The whole thing."

"Thank you for being honest with me." He replied, kissing her forehead.

"Whatever." She replied, turning and starting back up the stairs.

"And, Willow?"

She turned back to look at him, "I know you're mad at me right now, but please remember that I love you and I only want to keep you safe. I can't lose you."

Willow stopped and smiled. "I know Dad and I am sorry." She turned and walked up to her room. Jane watched as she went, smiling slightly and shaking his head.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm uploading this one early as I go on holiday Saturday morning so I don't want to be worrying about whether I've uploaded a chapter or not! Background for this chapter: I don't actually know when Jane and Lisbon got married so I went onto IMDB and found when the episode aired which was April 30th and took the date from there. This chapter is basically just Lisbon and Jane fluff so enjoy!**

**Thanks to everyone for their reviews. I do read them so keep 'em coming! Please to know that I've not drastically got something wrong so far! A/N**

**April**

April came round and suddenly they were a third of the way through the year. April was a special month for both Teresa and Patrick, as it was the month that they got married in and the month they found out they were expecting Willow. Normally, they had a quiet affair, didn't do much, maybe went to the pictures, if they could find a babysitter. They didn't like to make a fuss, it was their day and they spent it how they wished.

However, this time, Willow wanted to do something special for their parents. So, early in April, she began working with Grace and Rigsby to help plan something special. The Parents will have been married fifteen years after all!

One afternoon, having told her parents she was going to the local Starbucks to do some studying away from her brothers, she was actually meeting her Aunt Grace, and together, they were going to make a plan of what to do for the wedding anniversary. It was a Saturday and so all four of them would be around. Willow really wanted to do something as a family in the morning and then let the adults have a romantic evening in. She was prepared to babysit and if she was allowed, she wanted her mom and dad to have an evening away from the house, just the two of them. Even if it meant that Maddie came and had a sleepover. Earlier that week, she had gathered her brothers and sister into her attic room to begin discussions:

_"__Now, it's Mom and Dad's wedding anniversary at the end of the month and seeing as they have been together for 15 years now, I thought it would be quite nice if the four of us, with the help of Aunt Grace, planned something really nice for them." She explained. _

_"__But Mom and Dad don't like a fuss being made. They just watch a film and get popcorn all over the lounge floor!" sighed T.J. "Are we even sure this is what they want?"_

_Willow rolled her eyes, "Look, Toby, it's a simple gesture to show them how much we love them and to let them have a little time of their own."_

_T.J held his hands up in defense, "Seesh, it was just a suggestion Wills!"_

_Willpw ignored him and turned her attention to Chris and Sophie, "Now, I think it would be really nice if we got them some Roses and a card from us lot and then had a really nice day down in the bay. That way, Mom and Dad could then spend the evening alone and we could go home with Maddie."_

_"__What would we do with Mom and Dad?" asked Chris._

_"__Picnic! Picnic!" smiled Sophie, "Mommy and Daddy love going on picnics! We could do the food and just tell them where to turn or even walk to the park!"_

_Willow smiled at her little sister, "That's a great idea, Soph! Cause then Mom and Dad can come back here and get changed."_

_"__Will Aunt Grace agree to help with all this?" asked T.J_

_"__Hopefully. She and Uncle Rigsby were very keen for mom and Dad to get together and she loves a good secret plan."_

_"__If you're sure?" _

_Willow nodded, "I am sure. Now, not a word about this to Mom or Dad!" She looked at Sophie, the youngest and T.J, whom she knew would blab just to spoil her plans. _

_"__Or what?" he teased. _

_"__I don't know, but you won't like it." She replied, glaring at him, "So don't tell!"_

_"__We won't tell, will we Sophie?" asked Chris, putting his arm round his little sister. _

_"__I'll try. I've never kept a secret before!" she looked worried._

_"__It's okay, Sophie." Smiled Willow, "You'll do just fine."_

Back in the present day, Willow had ordered herself a drink and was sat at a table with her book. She had inherited her father's love of books and could often be found in the kitchen with a cup of tea and a book. Jane had even started bringing the books down from the attic from his days at the CBI.

"Can I join you?" Willow was interrupted from her reading by a familiar voice. She looked up and saw her Aunt Grace smiling down at her.

"Aunt Grace!" she grinned, closing her book, "Of course you can!"

Grace sat down opposite Willow and smiled, "Any thoughts?"

Willow grinned, "Lots!" she replied.

Grace smiled back, "Let me order a coffee and we can talk about them!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The night of the anniversary came and having spent a lovely day with their children in the park, Patrick and Teresa now found themselves in their bedroom, getting ready as per their children's instructions. Teresa was starting to get nervous about the whole thing, but Patrick was grinning from ear to ear, playing along with every request his children made. He left his wife to get dressed, having kissed her on the forehead as she stood next to the bed in her towel and said,

"Don't worry, this won't happen every day." And he left to take a shower in the adjoining bathroom.

Lisbon sighed and looked at the brown paper package her daughter had left for her. On the front was a note that read:

_To Mom, thanks for all that you do for us. We really do appreciate it. Lots of love, Wills, T.J, Chris and Sophie._

She smiled as she read the note and slowly unwrapped the package.

When Jane came back in from the bathroom, he had to stifle a laugh as he saw the look on his wife's face. She was sat at the foot of the bed, with a glowering face, looking as if Christmas had been cancelled. She looked gorgeous, of course she did. Willow had picked out (with the help of Grace Rigsby, he guessed) a dress similar to the one she had worn at the Blue Bird Inn. It was shorter and a slightly lighter shade of pink, but it was practically the same dress.

"Don't say anything…" she warned pointing a finger at him.

"Oh my, you look beautiful, like a princess…" he grinned, ignoring her warning. (Well, when did he listen to her anyway?)

She gave him a look, "Willow must hate me…" she muttered.

"Like an angry little princess… someone stole your tiara!"

"Jane…" she moaned, "Why would she do this? She knows I hate dressing up!"

"What about the dresses I bought you when we stayed in that hotel in Miami? You liked them, in fact you seemed genuinely touched."

"That was different. I thought you were going to tell me how you felt finally, stop me from leaving with Pike If I had known it was a set up, just a ruse to stop me from going, then I would have felt the same way."

Patrick, who was still half naked, his lower half hidden by a towel, walked over to his wife and placed his hands gently on her shoulders. She smiled slightly and looked up at him, placing her hands round her waist. "Teresa, it'll be ok. It's just for one night and I'm pretty sure Willow isn't trying to torture you. I'm certain that she wants us to have a good night and enjoy ourselves."

Teresa looked up at him, her green eyes meeting his and she smiled, "You're right and I know I'm being silly," she replied, "It's a lovely gesture and it really isn't too bad a dress."

Jane smirked, "No it isn't. But you know what?"

She shook her head and bit her lip, smiling.

He whispered in her ear, "I can't wait to get you out of it later."

Lisbon grinned, stood on her tiptoes and kissed him gently, her hands moving from his waist to run through his damp curls.

"Reece," he moaned, "You're killing me here and I'm pretty sure I don't want the kids walking in on us."

She had to laugh. "I'll go wait in the lounge. _You _can surprise _me _with what the kids have picked out for you."

Teresa didn't have long to wait. As her husband walked into the room, she had to gasp. She didn't know how her children had managed it, but he was wearing the same pants and shirt as he had been when they investigated their first crime together. Of course, he had tidied himself up, tucking the shirt in and making his hair look nice, none of the whole "homeless man" vibe going on.

"I take it by your face, you're impressed?" asked T.J, grinning as he watched his mother's reaction.

"How did you…"

"Rigsby. He remembered what Dad was wearing when you guys officially met and seeing as Dad lives in suit most days, it wasn't hard finding the right shirt." Explained Chris.

"Except his clear instructions were too look less like he had been pulled off the streets." Added Sophie.

"Aunt Grace rang Cho and helped with the dress. He said that even though the evening didn't go as planned, he said he had never seen you guys happier. Uncle Dennis also helped."

"You guys…" Teresa smiled, trying to hold back tears as Jane came and stood next to her, wrapping his arm round her waist.

"What your mother means is thank you very much. Truly!"

Chris stepped forward and held out a single red rose. "This is for Mom's hair." He smiled, handing it to Jane.

Teresa crouched down and kissed Chris on the cheek. She then walked over and kissed the other three. Walking back to Jane, she allowed him to put the flower in her hair, concealing the stalk inside her messy bun.

"Are you going to tell us what's in store?" Jane asked, knowing the answer.

Willow shook her head, grinning.

"We will tell you that your ride is outside and not to worry about coming home tonight. Maddie's coming over to look after us!" smiled T.J.

Patrick looked at Teresa and smiled, holding out his arm, "Shall we, Mrs. Jane?" he asked.

"It would be rude not too!" she smiled back and together they left the house. Willow, Toby, Chris and Sophie followed out and stood in the doorway. A black SUV was parked up in the street outside the house. Jane and Lisbon laughed.

"What else?" grinned Teresa, "We've shared many a happy moment in one of these!"

A man got out the front of the car and walked towards them.

"Wayne?" asked Patrick.

Teresa looked sharply, taking her attention away from the car.

"Hey guys!" he grinned. He was wearing his usual shirt and jeans, but he was wearing a chauffeur cap and gloves.

"How did the kids wrangle you into this?" Teresa asked, looking back at her four terrors who were all stood in the doorway, all of whom were grinning madly.

"Your kids are very hard to say no to…" he replied, looking intentionally at Jane.

"What are you implying?" he replied, mocking offense.

"That they take after their father. There must be something in the Jane genes that makes it impossible for people to say no to you guys." He opened the door and Jane got in first, sliding over for Teresa.

"Its easy." She replied, "You just ignore them, or him!" she motioned at Jane. Then she turned her attention back to her kids, "You guys be good for your cousin Maddie!" she called, "Go to bed when she tells you. Sophie and Chris, I want you in bed by 8, Willow you're in charge until Maddie gets here. Be good, don't trash the house…"

"Teresa, they'll be fine, just get in the damn car!" called Patrick.

"I love you!" she called waving as she reluctantly got in the car.

They drove mostly in silence with either Jane or Lisbon speculating on where they might be going. Eventually, Rigsby slowed down and eventually stopped. He turned in the car to face them.

"I'm sorry, but you have to put on the blindfold." He said, holding out a black scarf to the pair of them. Jane and Lisbon obliged and Rigsby helped them out the car. They walked in the open air for a bit and then entered a building. They waited as for a few moments and then stepped into an elevator.

"I'm to tell you that you can stay here all night and there will be breakfast provided in the morning." Rigsby said, as the elevator climbed higher. "I'm to come and get you at about 12."

"Okay, but where is here?" asked Jane impatiently.

"Ignore him, Rigsby." Replied Teresa.

"I have a pretty good idea where we are. I could tell you."

"Well, don't. The kids have gone to a lot of trouble over us. I don't want you spoiling the surprise."

"Fine." Said Jane as the lift came to a stop. It pinged and Rigsby left them outside. He led them further into the room and stopped.

"You're not to take the scarves off until I have left. Wait until you here the elevator doors shut."

Teresa and Patrick nodded. Teresa felt for Jane's hand and held it tightly. He squeezed it back to reassure her. They waited for what seemed like an eternity and then slowly they took the blindfolds off.

Teresa gasped and Jane took a step back in shock.

"Is this…" Teresa began.

"The old CBI building, yeah!" replied Jane, spinning on the spot and looking round. They were stood in the old bullpen area, but it had been decorated in bunting and flowers. A table set for two was placed where Jane's old desk and sofa had been, and a bed was where Teresa's old office had been. There was also an old stereo on a table around where Grace's old desk had been.

"How in the world?" said Lisbon, her hands at her mouth, silent tears falling down her cheeks.

"I don't know…" replied Patrick, running a hand through his hair, grinning madly.

"It's beautiful!" she whispered watching as Jane walked over to the stereo and pressed play.

_Do you remember the 21st night of September? Love was changing the minds of pretenders, while chasing the clouds away. Our hearts were ringing. In the key that our souls were singing. As we danced in the night, remember… how the stars stole the night away…_

They both laughed.

"This is the song that was playing when you told me you were pregnant with Willow!" Jane smiled. "I didn't think I could be any happier and then…"

Teresa smiled, "I wanted it to be a surprise and I didn't know how you were going to react…"

"Really?" he replied, getting closer to her.

She nodded, "After all this time, you're still a mystery to me…"

Jane kissed her softly, "That's my line." He whispered as he took her in his arms, "Do you know how happy you've made me?" he asked as they dance.

She shook her head.

"I'm so happy, Teresa. I'm so glad I chased you to the airport and I busted my ankle trying to reach you. I'm so lucky that I made it in time and that you decided to stay. I'm incredibly lucky that we had four beautiful children and that I get to wake up everyday knowing that I'll spend the rest of my life with you."

Teresa rested her head on his chest. "I'm so happy, Patrick, that you are mine forever. I love you, always."

Patrick kissed the top of her head, "I love you, always."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello everyone. Just got back from my hols and so here's another chapter. I'm hoping to keep on track and publish next week, but I am behind on the next one. I'm hoping my holiday to the West Country will have inspired me. **

**As ever, thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter! A/N**

**May**

Before you could blink, May arrived, bringing plenty of sunshine and blossom. For the Jane's it meant the beginning of a long and busy summer of birthdays and vacations. Kick starting all of these was the youngest son, Christopher. His birthday fell on May 11th, meaning he usually had pleasant weather on his birthday. This year, his birthday fell on a Wednesday, meaning he would be in school, but Jane and Teresa were planning something special for after-school. Chris was massively into space and all things space themed. Patrick and Teresa had bought him a telescope that he could sit at his window and look at the sky at night. Willow had gotten him a book on space and planets and science, Toby had gone for some documentaries about space, including Carl Sagan's _Cosmos _series and had chucked in an old episode of Doctor Who to be safe and little Sophie had chosen some glow in the dark stars and planets that Chris could stick on his ceiling.

The night before his birthday, while he was having a bath, Patrick gathered Willow, Toby and Sophie in the dining room to wrap their presents and write their cards. Teresa was working late and so he knew he was going to be on his own, having to manage Willow, Toby and Sophie by himself. He wasn't worried about Willow and Toby, being 14 and 12 respectively, he knew they could manage fine by themselves. He was just hoping they could get along for five minutes to wrap their brother's present. Sophie, on the other hand, was going to be a handful. She was very independent, and he knew that there would be tape and paper everywhere by the time they were finished. Luckily, the present was contained in normal shaped boxes so it shouldn't be too hard to guide her through.

"Willow?" Jane asked as he set the things down on the table

"Yeah Dad?" she called from the sofa, in the middle of texting Olivia.

"Put the phone down and come do this please?" he asked.

Willow sighed and walked over.

"Don't roll your eyes at me!" Patrick reprimanded, but Willow rolled her eyes anyhow as she flopped into a chair.

Patrick grinned, "You'd have thought I'd told you that Christmas was banned from the looks of your face!"

"She's only mad because she can't talk to her boyfriend!" teased Toby.

"Am not!" she retorted, "I was in the middle of a very important conversation with Olivia about the most recent episode of _Grey's Anatomy_!" she blushed, "And I don't have a boyfriend…"

Jane looked at her, "We'll talk later." He said, giving her a look and then he turned to Toby, "And what have we told you about winding Willow up?"

Toby sighed and looked at his present, "I could have done this in my room." He muttered.

Patrick sighed. Where was Teresa when he needed her? "Well, tough. We're doing it together and I would like it very much if the two of you could set an example for your sister!"

"Sorry Dad." They muttered.

"That's okay. Now, what are you going to do first? Present or card?"

"I think I'll wrap my present first." Smiled Willow.

"Toby, in that case can you write your card first so that we don't have any arguments over tape or space?"

Toby gave his father a dark look but didn't argue back and ten minutes later they were all wrapped up and cards were written. Patrick would wrap his and Teresa's when she got in because the kids would be asleep by then.

"Go and hide your present in your room, Soph!" smiled Jane, helping his daughter down from the table.

"What if I bump into Chris on the stairs?" she gasped, as if this was the worse thing that could happen!

"Well, your presents all wrapped up now! He won't see it and unless he's got superpowers and can see through paper and cardboard then we should be ok!" he reassured her.

"Come on Sophie!" smiled Toby, holding out his hand, "We'll go together and that way if we bump into Chris, I'll think of something clever to say!"

"Thanks Toby!" smiled Jane, leaning back in his chair. "I'm going to make a cup of tea. Do you want one?" he asked Willow.

"Sure. I got some homework I should be doing!"

Jane made his way into the kitchen as Willow got down from the table to find her schoolwork. When he came back into the kitchen with the tea, he found Willow back at the table, book in one hand, pen scribbling furiously in the other. He put the tea down on the table and sat next to her, watching her for a few minutes.

"What you working on?" he asked her, curiously.

"A book report." She replied, not looking up

"What's the book?"

"_Sylvia by Starlight. _It's for my social justice literature assignment."

"What's it about?"

She sighed and put down her pen, "It's about Stella who lives in the segregated south in 1932. Out, late one night, wandering around, Stella and her brother witness a Klu Klux Klan activity, starting an unwelcome chain of events in her otherwise sleepy town. With a compelling and courageous voice, Stella tells the story of how she and her community ban together against racism and injustice."

"That's deep!" he replied.

She nodded, "We had a list of eight and this is the one I chose. Liv chose the one I was torn with."

"Ah." Replied Jane, taking a sip of tea, "And what about this boyfriend? What did he choose?"

Willow blushed deeply and buried her nose in her book, "I don't know what Toby is talking about. I don't have a boyfriend."

"I don't believe you." He replied.

"I don't care."

"Willow, if you have a boyfriend, do you think we could talk about him?"

Willow ignored him.

"Wills, please?" he said, pushing the book down so that he could see her, "You're not in any trouble."

"Oh goody!" she replied.

"It's just that if its your first boyfriend then there are things we need to talk about…"

"Oh God!" Willow blushed, if possible, even more.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it anymore than you do but…"

"I don't want to talk about it period!" she replied, folding her books up and grabbing her tea, "I'm going to go work out in the garden where I can concentrate!" and she walked off.

Jane watched her go and sighed. He picked up his tea, put it in the kitchen and went to put Chris and Sophie to bed. When he came back down, Willow was in the garden, but she was on the phone. She was either on the phone to this boyfriend, or she was ranting to Olivia about their conversation. Either way, Patrick felt it best to leave her be. He went and flopped on the sofa, closed his eyes and began to think.

He had no idea how long he had been on the sofa but the next thing he knew, he was being shaken by someone. He opened his eyes and saw Teresa stood in front of him.

"Hey, sleepy!" she smiled, kissing him.

"Hey!" he replied, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, "How was work?"

"The same."

"Oh well." He smiled

"How was it here?"

"Good." He replied, "Willow, Toby and Sophie got their presents wrapped. I thought I would wait until you got home, and we could do ours."

She smiled, "I can't believe our little boy is going to be eight!" she sighed.

"I know. It feels like yesterday we were stood beside the lake in Austin and you told me you were pregnant!"

She smiled, "Are they all in bed?" she asked.

"Sophie and Chris are, T.J went to his room after wrapping presents and Willow was doing homework in the garden."

"Why?"

Patrick sighed, "I think she has a boyfriend, either that or T.J is teasing her again, but she genuinely seemed embarrassed. I tried to talk to her about it and she just flipped."

"Maybe she can't talk to you about it…"

"She can always come to me, she knows that." He remarked.

"I know that, and she knows that, but there are just somethings that a young girl can't talk to her father about." Teresa smiled, running her fingers through his hair.

"What do we do?" he asked, kissing her hand gently.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow. Chris will be too busy having fun. I'll get her to help me make dinner."

"Remind me who's coming again?" he asked as he stood up.

"Just the Rigsby's. Dennis and Lena wanted to come across but can't get the time off. The same with Cho, but we'll be seeing them in a few months anyway." They started up the stairs, "I think Dennis said he'd ring in the morning if he wasn't too busy."

"That's nice. Have you eaten?" he asked before they reached the landing.

"Traditional case closed pizza!" she grinned, kissing his cheek and heading into the bedroom.

Sunlight was streaming in through the bedroom curtains as Teresa slowly woke up the next morning. She tried to move and then found that she couldn't as she was entangled in her husband's limbs and he was still sound asleep. She sighed and tried to reach for her phone to check the time. The sleeping form of her husband stirred and she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Morning." He said sleepily.

"Morning." She smiled, "I didn't mean to wake you!"

"What time is it?" he groaned, stretching. Teresa was able to detangle herself and look at her phone.

"A little after six." She replied.

"Hmm… I'm surprised Chris hasn't been in yet!"

Just then, the bedroom door flung open and Chris ran in and jumped on the pair of them.

"Mom! Dad! It's my birthday!" He shouted, grinning from ear to ear.

"Spoke too soon!" Jane grinned, ruffling his son's hair. All of his children had inherited his curly hair, but they ranged in color. At the moment, Chris' was a light brown. "Happy birthday Christopher!"

"I'm eight! I'm eight!" he grinned bouncing again.

"We know!" smiled Teresa, "Happy birthday, darling!" she said, kissing him on the cheek and pulling him in for a hug. He allowed her to hug her for about five seconds before he was jumping on his dad.

Half an hour later, Sophie, Toby and Willow were all up and they were downstairs in the living room. He had opened T.J and Sophie's presents and loved them. Willow handed him hers, and he tore off the paper.

"Oh, thanks Willow!" he grinned, looking up at her, "This is great!"

"You're welcome, Chris. Happy Birthday!"

He turned to his mom and dad and Jane slid the box over to him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Why don't you open it?" Teresa smiled.

Chris didn't need telling twice. He ripped off the paper and gasped. Before him lay a brand-new telescope.

"Are you serious?" he asked, looking at them

Teresa nodded and Jane smiled, enraptured by his son's reaction.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" and he ran at them, giving them a massive hug.

"So, you like it then?" Patrick asked.

"I love it! Thank you so much!"

"Happy birthday, Chris!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later that day, Teresa was in the kitchen, starting work on the dinner. The two youngest were out playing in the garden with Patrick, Toby was at football practice and Willow was working on her assignment in the dining room. Grace, Wayne and Maddie were coming over in half an hour (Ben had wanted to come but couldn't get time off work). Teresa had decided that while her kids were busy and Chris wasn't distracted or wanting her attention, that she would make dinner. Chris had asked for Lasange with garlic bread and salad for his birthday dinner, which was simple enough to make. Lisbon got started on making the mince sauce as that would take the longest. When it was simmering away on the stove, she called her eldest through to help with the salad.

"So, how was school?" she asked, casually.

"Pretty good." She replied, "Liv and I were thinking of heading to the park to do some studying in the fresh air and we were trying to work out who to ask to join us."

"That sounds like a good idea." Teresa replied. "Willow, your dad and I were talking last night…"

She sighed and looked at her mom, "Is this about Noah?"

"Is that his name?" Teresa pretended to be engrossed in cutting a pepper, as if the revalation that her eldest child was potentially dating was not important to her.

"Yes, it is. And Toby has it all wrong. He's not my boyfriend…"

"Oh?" she remarked, hoping that her daughter would give her more information.

"We like each other… a lot… like that… but that doesn't mean we're boyfriend and girlfriend does it?"

"Well, that depends." Teresa smiled, "Have you guys been on a date yet?"

Willow blushed crimson, "We meet up in the library or an empty classroom, just us two…"

Teresa smiled. Her daughter was just as awkward as she had been at that age. The idea of putting on make-up and a dress to impress a boy seemed a million miles from what she wanted to be doing. Meeting him on a level playing field seemed like a sensible way to get to know someone.

"Sweet." She replied. "I'm really happy for you and your father is too."

Willow gave a small smile, "I don't know why I couldn't talk to Dad about it. We're always so open with each other… I could talk to him about anything…"

Lisbon put down her knife and walked over to Willow. She placed her arms on her shoulders and smiled at her, "Willow, sometimes when we grow up, we find that there are things that we can't talk to certain people about. I know I couldn't talk to my brothers about dating or anything because they would tease me endlessly. Dad won't love you any less because you can't talk to him about dating."

Willow smiled, "I know. I was so worried he was going to start talking to me about the _other thing_!"

Lisbon looked confused, "What other thi- oh!" she gasped as she realised, then gave a small smile, "We do need to have that conversation but not today. Today is Toby's day. I wouldn't have talked to you about Noah today but I was worried about you."

Willow hugged her mom, "I'm ok, Mom. I should really go find Dad and tell him I'm not mad at him either."

"You do that." She smiled, kissing the top of her head.

As Willow ran out into the yard, Teresa carried on preparing the salad. She then went and sorted the table before answering the door to Grace, Wayne and Maddie. They all gathered in the living room where Chris opened his present which was a mix of some new clothes for the summer vacation and some new books.

"We didn't quite know what to get you, so a mix seemed the best option! It's been a while since I had to sort birthday presents for a little boy!" smiled Grace.

"Thank you, Aunt Grace," smiled Chris, "And I'm not so little, I am eight now!"

"Oh, my mistake!" she smiled and she gave him a massive hug.

They enjoyed dinner and soon the dining room was filled with the sounds of laughter and catching up. Willow and Maddie were deep in conversation (Teresa wondered if it was about Noah), Toby and Chris were talking about the latest baseball and football news, and Sophie was engaged in a conversation about how unicorns could fly but that they weren't the same as a Pegasus ("That's just silly, Uncle Rigsby!" she had remarked).

Once dinner was finished and the plates were cleared away, Patrick and Teresa put the candles on his birthday cake and brought it out while everyone sang 'Happy Birthday!'

"Make a wish!" said Willow, after they finished singing.

"But don't tell anyone!" said Sophie.

"Or else it won't come true!" added Maddie.

"I don't need to make a wish." Smiled Chris, looking at his family, "I've got everything I could ever want!"

And with that, he blew out the candle, grinning from ear to ear.


	6. Chapter 6

**June**

Finally, the summer vacation was upon them. For the kids, it meant hours to run and play in the sun. For Patrick and Teresa, it meant sorting out what they were going to do with four kids and four months off. They knew that in July, they were going to D.C to see Dennis and Lena for Independence Day and Teresa's birthday and in August, they would be heading for the cabin in Texas, where they would see Cho and Wiley. June was a fairly quiet month for the Jane's. At the end would be T.J's birthday and he would be a teenager. They would then have to endure five months of T.J winding Willow up because he was only a year younger than she was when in fact she was 2 years and eight months older than him.

Seeing as it was summer vacation and the weather was pretty much guaranteed to be good, Patrick and Teresa decided to take the kids camping for Toby's birthday. They were all outdoorsy kids, with Willow, Toby and Chris having spent their formative years in a shack in the middle of nowhere. So, it seemed like the perfect idea. Over dinner one night, they put the idea out there.

"Toby, have you given much thought to what you want to do for your birthday?" asked Patrick

Toby shrugged and continued eating.

Patrick looked at Teresa and she gave him a wink, before helping Sophie finish her dinner.

"Would you like to go like to go camping the week of your birthday?" he asked, taking a sip of squash and looking at his son.

Toby looked up, eyes bright with excitement, "You mean it?" he asked, breathlessly, "You mean we can go camping?"

Jane chucked, "If you want to?"

Toby nodded, "I want to, I so want to!"

"Willow, Chris, you guys ok to go camping?" Teresa asked.

Chris nodded and Willow smiled, "Can we do smores?"

"I should think so!"

"I'm in!" she replied.

"That's my girl!" replied Teresa, "Priorities!"

Patrick laughed, "Wasn't there a case where I'd been prodded with a cattle prod for three days and you asked me where your apple was?"

"You said you were getting me an apple, so I wanted an apple! You were alive weren't you?"

"Barely."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic!" she smiled, beginning to clear the plates.

Toby smiled, "And you guys think we're bad?"

"So, we're going camping then?" asked Chris as his parents chuckled

"I think so!" grinned Sophie

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

In the last week of June, the Jane family were packed up and ready to go. Sophie was strapped into her seat and Chris was sat next to her. Willow and T.J were sat in facing them in the back with Jane and Lisbon in the front.

"Willow, T.J, it's a two-and-a-half-hour trip to Yosemite. I would like it if we can get there without an argument." Lisbon twirled in her seat to look at her eldest two.

"Yes, Mom!" they replied, looking at each other. Then Willow took out her iPod and stuck her headphones in.

Lisbon shook her head and smiled as Jane pulled out of their street and they started on their way.

They stopped once, cause Sophie needed the toilet, but other than that, it was an uneventful journey. Willow and T.J were civil and Chris and Sophie played 'I-Spy', and Jane and Lisbon sang along with the tunes that came over the radio. Soon, they were pulling into Wawona campground and unpacking the car, looking for the tents. They had three, one for Jane and Lisbon, one for the boys and one for the girls. Patrick got his and Lisbon's tent up in no time, amazing both his wife and his children.

"What?" he asked, looking at the amazed looks on their faces, "I've been camping. Don't forget, I grew up on the carney scene!"

"Yeah, but still. You were a kid then now and your like…" began Toby.

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if you want to see your fourteenth birthday young man!" interrupted Jane, pointing a finger at his son and smiling and he went to help the girls with their tent.

The first night went smoothly and they awoke to the sounds of birds singing in the air and water flowing in the nearby crook. Willow and Sophie headed off to wash in the stream and the boys had gone for a walk. Jane was the only one awake in the 'adult' tent, as Teresa was still fast asleep. She was the only one of them who hadn't been looking forward to the trip. She was very much a stay indoors kind of person and would have much preferred to take the family to Disney for the whole week. Instead, she found herself sleeping on a blowup mattress that deflated every time she moved, was a million miles from the nearest shower and civilization. Jane, however, was acting like it was Christmas and seemed to be having more fun that the kids. He had cooked them sausages and beans on an open fire last night and they had spent the next few hours playing poker for chips and sweets and telling stories and roasting marshmallows. Even Lisbon had admitted that was fun. And now he was watching his wife sleep, looking as peaceful as she did at home. He treasured these moments when the kids were busy occupying themselves and he had time alone with Teresa. He found he was willing for her to wake up, even though she looked so peaceful.

But just then, Teresa stirred and blinked slowly. She stifled and yawn and rolled over to see her husband smiling down at her.

"Morning." He said, leaning down to kiss her softly.

"Morning." She replied

"Sleep okay?"

"As well as can be. Where are the kids?"

"Sophie and Willow have gone to the creek to have a wash and the boys went for a walk. It's just you and me." And he kissed her again. She smiled and gave into the kiss. Soon her hands were unbuttoning his pyjama top and he was lifting hers off. Things were just getting interesting when;

"Mom! Dad!" Toby's voice was calling them, "Chris found a snake and he's too scared to move!"

Teresa sighed, "He is scared of snakes." She grabbed her top and pulled it back on, "Maybe later?" and she kissed him quickly as she left the tent.

A few days into the trip, Toby's birthday dawned warm and sunny. Patrick and Teresa were the first up. They had strung bunting and balloons up around their campsite and got the fire going. The next person up was Sophie. She stumbled out of the tent rubbing her eyes.

"Momma? I need the toilet!" she yawned

"Good morning to you too!" smiled Patrick as he tied the final balloon to a tree.

Teresa gave him a look and escorted their youngest child to the bathroom. Patrick went and tended to the fire waiting for the others to wake up. It was now ten to seven. He estimated that Willow would be up in the next ten minutes, having been disturbed by Sophie waking up and the boys would be up by half seven, if they weren't already awake and talking softly in the tent.

Teresa and Sophie returned, and she sat on her dad's knee, watching the fire get hotter and stronger. They were hoping to do French toast for breakfast, over the campfire with strawberries and raspberries that they got from the store last night. It was Toby's favourite and seemed befitting a birthday breakfast. Patrick couldn't believe that his eldest son was going to be a teenager. Toby was a difficult child at the best of times but couple that with being a teenager and they were going to be in for an interesting few years. Willow would be annoyed for a while as there was now only one year between her and her brother, but things would be back to normal by the time they got to the end of October.

By the time Willow climbed out of the tent, Sophie was climbing the tree that they had found earlier in the week with her father and Teresa was sat preparing breakfast. The two women sat by the fire and chatted about school and beginning High School and Noah. Just as Willow was filling her mother in on her recent outing with Noah, the boys climbed out of the tent.

'It's ma birthday and we're gonna party like its ma birthday!" Toby chanted, waving his hands in the air, grinning from ear to ear. Chris laughed and went and hugged his mother.

"Happy birthday, ass hat!" Willow smiled, hugging her brother and smiling.

"That was almost nice, Wills" Toby smiled, returning the hug. "Just think, we're only a year apart!"

"Until October!" she replied, poking her tongue out at him and ducking back into the tent.

"Don't wind her up, T.J!" sighed Teresa, "Even if it is your birthday!"

Toby smiled, "She makes it so easy!"

Teresa gave him and look and then smiled, "Happy birthday, kid!"

"Thanks Mom!" he said, sitting on a log by her.

Just then, Patrick and Sophie came back through the clearing, Sophie sat on his shoulder.

"Ah-ha!" he smiled, "The birthday boy arises. Just like a true teenager."

"Daaad!" Toby groaned, rolling his eyes and smiling, "It's half seven!"

"And?" Patrick grinned, "We were all up at six or just after!"

Toby just rolled his eyes in response.

"Lord save us all, he's a teenager!" Jane cried, becoming dramatic.

Teresa grabbed him by the elbow and sat him down. Sophie, Chris and Willow were all giggling, and Chris actually fell off his log, he was laughing that hard. Patrick picked him up and sat him on his knee.

"The fire is ready!" smiled Teresa, "Shall I make the birthday toast, or shall we do presents?"

"French toast!" the four children cried, grinning from ear to ear.

Teresa soaked the bread in egg, milk, cinnamon and vanilla while Toby, Willow and Patrick cut up the strawberries and placed them on plates with the raspberries. They then sat and ate together, laughing and chatting about the week's events. They would be leaving tomorrow afternoon to get ready to fly to D.C for July 4th with the Abbotts. Toby then opened his presents and they got washed and dressed. Toby wanted to go for a hike, so they got their boots on, packed some sandwiches and water and they headed out for a hike. They spent a good three/four hours walking along the trail and explore everything the Yosemite had to offer. Toby and Chris found plenty of trees to climb and Willow and Sophie went looking for fairy trees.

They had a picnic on the banks of the river and started back to camp. Toby was teaching Chris and Sophie campfire songs as they marched along the path.

"Everywhere we go…" Toby began

"Everywhere we go!" replied Sophie and Chris. Willow walked behind them, smiling.

"People always ask us!"

"People always as us!"

"Who we are!"

"Who we are!"

"Where we come from!"

"Where we come from!"

"So we tell them…"

"So we tell them…"

"We're from Sacramento!"

"We're from Sacramento!"

"Sunny Sacramento!"

"Sunny Sacramento!"

"And if they can't hear us…"

"And if they can't hear us…"

"We shout a little louder!"

It continued until they were screaming, and Patrick and Teresa called it quits. Toby, Chris and Sophie were breathless and laughing.

When they were about a mile from the camp, they found a rock that was big enough to fit all the kids on.

"Come on, guys climb on the rock and we'll take a photo!" said Teresa, trying to organize her rabble.

Willow and Toby stood behind Chris and Sophie and they all smiled. Then Teresa let them take a silly photo. Sophie did an impressive headstand, with her hands on the forest floor and her legs hooked on the rock. Willow threw her hands above her head and grinned and Chris jumped on Toby's back, legs wrapped tightly round his waist and his hands in the air.

"What about you guys?" asked Willow, as they climbed off the rock, "Can we take a selfie and then one of you two?"

Patrick looked at his wife and smiled. "C'mon, Reece. You get in with the kids and I'll take the selfie. So Willow and Toby climbed back on the rock and their mom sat in the middle. Sophie and Chris sat on either side of her. Jane then moved around trying to find the right position. Eventually, he took the photo and showed it to everyone.

"Happy birthday Toby!" smiled Teresa, pulling her son in close and kissing him on the forehead as she looked at his smiling face, "Happy birthday!"


End file.
